The Fourah Bay College Alumni Association (FBCAA) has officially launched its Gambia Chapter at a cocktail reception held at the Ocean Bay Hotel on Friday.
The launch forms part of broader preparations ahead of Fourah Bay College’s bicentenary celebrations, scheduled for February 2027.
The new chapter will provide a platform for Fourah Bay College alumni residing in The Gambia — including Gambian Fourahbites based abroad — to strengthen networking, promote fellowship, and contribute to activities marking the institution’s 200 anniversary.
As the college approaches its historic milestone, alumni chapters across the region and in the diaspora are expected to play a key role in organising commemorative activities and supporting development initiatives for the college.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Hannah Harding, Chairperson of the FBCAA Gambia Chapter, described the gathering as meaningful and encouraging.
“The main message was about strengthening the alumni association in The Gambia, supporting the college’s bicentenary celebration, and working together to contribute to its development. With unity, commitment and regular participation, we can make a meaningful impact and keep the spirit of Fourah Bay College alive for generations to come,” she said.
For some alumni, the college’s impact remains personal and professional.
Annie MacJohnson, who attended Fourah Bay College from 1988 to 1991, said her qualification helped her secure employment in The Gambia’s education sector.
“The university really helped shape my life and continues to impact how I teach students. It enabled me to move into management. Knowing that the university is celebrating 200 years, I’m proud to have been part of that great story,” she said.
She noted that the college currently faces infrastructure challenges, with facilities no longer adequate for its growing student population.
“We want to come together, pool our resources, and support the college — whether by providing water, fencing, or other areas of need. The college has produced many people now in positions of authority across The Gambia, so it is important to give back,” she added.
Reynold Carrol, a member of the association who studied Mechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering from 1979 to 1984, recalled that the college was much smaller then, with an estimated population of about 1,000 students and faculties limited to Arts, Economics, Engineering and Science.
He said alumni associations serve two key purposes: fostering community among former students and creating opportunities to give back to the alma mater.
He noted that the Gambia Chapter was established in mid-2025 and is still in its formative stages, with members exploring ways to contribute meaningfully to the college’s development.
“The alumni is very much in its infancy, and the whole idea is to build it up. The support and involvement of more alumni will be essential to achieving our goals,” he said.
Fourah Bay College, located at Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone, was founded on February 18, 1827. It is the first Western-style university in sub-Saharan Africa and one of the continent’s oldest institutions of higher learning.
The college is a constituent college of the University of Sierra Leone and was affiliated with Durham University in the United Kingdom from 1876 to 1967. Over nearly two centuries, it has produced graduates who have served with distinction in education, public service, politics, business and academia across West Africa.